lidbeckbrent

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A while back I had a
collection of old milk jugs in my garage. They had such a great look and
history to them. Even though I could not figure out a way to salvage them, I
could not stand the idea of getting rid of them. I just needed time and I knew eventually an
idea would click!

When I got a call from Good Housekeeping
magazine asking me to design some fun summer DIY projects, I knew I had to use
them in some way. It was a blistering,
hot summer day when I was working on the project ideas, so naturally the
thought of a shady place came to mind. A
shady place; I had finally thought of a great solution to put the milk jugs to
use!

(4) plastic 8" garden
pots ( you will find these at the garden
center, these are the pots you buy your plants in at the nursery)

(4) large size T cup hooks

(4) tent stakes

Twine

At each corner of your fabric
add one grommet. 1" down from top of each closet pole screw in one T cup
hook. The T cup hook will hold fabric in place at grommet.

The garden pot will help hold
the closet pole in the milk container. The garden pot should fit snugly into
the top of the milk jug container. Before placing inside you will need to cut a
hole the exact diameter of the closet pole in the bottom center of the pot.
When the pole stands upright in the container it will slide through this hole
and be centered in the milk jug.

First stand pole in milk jug
so it is vertical and centered. Pour sand into milk jug and around the
pole. The sand will give the jug extra
weight and help hold the pole in place. Place the garden pot over the pole and
slide down into place inside the top of the jug.

Place all of the jugs the
correct distance apart for fabric canopy. Make sure all of the T cup hooks are
facing inwards. Hook the fabric to T cup hooks.

Staking canopy: At the top of
each pole, wrap and tie one end of the twine (about 8'). Use the cup hook to anchor. At the opposite end of the twine, attach the
tent stakes. Push the stakes into the
ground pulling to hold the closet poles straight and the canopy taut.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

If you are flea market junkie
like I am, finding a purpose for all the junk you must have can be difficult
task. It’s easier to justify buying old
collectibles like vintage rakes, birdhouses, and shutters when they can be
recycled into a useful or decorative object.

Here are three ways I
salvaged some fun finds from the Elephants Trunk flea market in New Milford,
Connecticut:

Antique Wooden Rake Peg Rack

An old wood garden rake can have a new life and purpose
as a peg rack. Old garden rakes can easily
be found at flea markets or a second hand shop. The key to this project is to
make sure the claws are positioned at a 90 degree angle. This is an attractive clever way to hang
items you need close by, like the dog’s leash or your raincoat!

Bird Cage
Hurricanes

Bird cages make fun decorative displays for candles.
To create a festive table for a dinner party, gather a few cages and center them
on your buffet or dinner table. Fill them with multiple heights of pillar
candles to create a luminous, shimmering centerpiece.

Around the base of each cage, add a few vines from the
garden and let them trail along the table top.

Shutter Table

Who knew that old wooden
shutters could be recycled so simply into the perfect outdoor summer table? Whatever
your preferred finish may be, you can prepare your shutters by sanding,
painting or staining them. Just make sure all four of your shutters are the
same size.

The top and bottom of the shutter table is made from
art stretchers. This is a creative, easy way to make a square top. The glass easily
rests on the top inside the beveled edge.

Stand all four shutters as you want them to stand as
table bottom. The four shutters will make a square base. Measure the distance from the outside of one
shutter across to the outside of the other. Take that measurement and purchase
art stretchers for the same or slightly larger measurement. (The stretcher
measurement can be slightly larger, it just means the top will extend beyond
the sides a small bit.)

The stretchers, when pieced together, will form a
square frame.

Stand the shutters up vertically and place the frame
on top of the four shutters. Drill two screws
evenly spaced through the frame on one side and into the top edge of the
shutter to hold firm. Continue on all four sides. Turn the shutter over and do
the same on the bottom.

Finish the wood stretchers with the same paint or
stain as the shutter. You can have glass cut at a glass store. Measure for a piece of 1 /4"glass that
will fit inside the beveled edge of the frame.

All three projects appeared in Good Housekeeping
magazine June 2011, photography by Michael Partenio

Monday, July 2, 2012

Last summer
I was lucky enough to be asked to travel to Beaufort, North Carolina with a
crew from Better Homes and Gardens magazine to style the Fourth of July feature
that is running this month in the July 2012 issue.

The best part was the great opportunity to meet and work with fellow field editor Lisa Mowry, editor
Amy Panos and photographer John Bessler. The story was shot last September, just after
the hurricane swept up the east coast, so of course I was worried about the
damage the hurricane was capable of inflicting down south. Luckily, the house
was safe from the storm and the shoot was a go!

This was
a really fun and exciting project for me to style. The challenge was to combine a nautical
theme with a July 4th, red, white, and blue overlay throughout the home and the festivities. Every detail of each shot had to planned and organized ahead.

I arrived
at the location with my assistant Monica and a van of props and materials we had gathered from near and far. We immediately got to work
prepping and styling with a highly enthusiastic and energetic group. Over a period of three days, pushing 12 hours days with meals on the fly, we cranked out a very productive and successful feature and managed to have some really good fun doing it.

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I'm Karin and I am a stylist, life style editor, designer, artist, and producer. I create DIY projects and style houses for dozens of magazines, catalogs and websites where you may go to get your design inspiration. I love to create beautiful rooms, vignettes, floral arrangements while creating entertaining ideas. This year I started producing crafts and lifestyle ideas for the CT FOX NEWS Morning Show. This blog is my opportunity to share with you all of the projects I create for Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, New England Homes Magazine, Traditional Homes and many more. I will also share my exciting and hectic life as a stylist, my favorite styling ideas, the way I work, the places I go and the exciting homes and people I meet. Enjoy and be inspired!